Review: Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt

Prim, proper, and thrifty, Eve Dinwoody is all business when it comes to protecting her brother’s investment. But when she agrees to control the purse strings of London’s premier pleasure garden, Harte’s Folly, she finds herself butting heads with an infuriating scoundrel who can’t be controlled.

HE’S RUNNING THE SHOW

Bawdy and bold, Asa Makepeace doesn’t have time for a penny-pinching prude like Eve. As the garden’s larger-than-life owner, he’s already dealing with self-centered sopranos and temperamental tenors. He’s not about to let an aristocratic woman boss him around . . . no matter how enticing she is.

BUT LOVE CONQUERS ALL

In spite of her lack of theatrical experience—and her fiery clashes with Asa—Eve is determined to turn Harte’s Folly into a smashing success. But the harder she tries to manage the stubborn rake, the harder it is to ignore his seductive charm and raw magnetism. There’s no denying the smoldering fire between them—and trying to put it out would be the greatest folly of all..

Review:

Ah, a cute opposites-attract kinda couple! This is book 9 in the Maiden Lane series, and it’s still going pretty strong.

Asa is one of the Makepeace sibling but oh so different than his family (as seen in the earlier Maiden Lane books). He’s crude, wild, loud, foul-mouthed and rogue-ish. He’s also a bit violent and loves his theater more than anything. Until he meets Eve.

Eve is the illegitimate half-sister of Duke of Montgomery. She’s prim, proper, plain and suffering from PTSD from a horrifying childhood. She’s also determined to make sure her brother’s investment is being used wisely and that means keeping Asa in line (which he’s not too happy about).

She doesn’t take any b.s. from him but oh man is it hard to resist the Asa charm when he turns it on.

How was it possible that this man she’d at first found merely irritating, over-overwhelmingly male – frightening- should turn out to have so many sides to him? A lover of opera. A fighter of highwaymen. A shouter of arguments. A savior of stray dogs.

I really liked both characters. I liked Eve for her bravery and straightforwardness and big heart. And I always love a hero who gets his butt kicked by love! Asa was such a jerk at the start, but also he totally wins you over in the end. I love how much he ends up loving Eve (and his violent streak to protect her). (profanity ahead!)

“I’m going to pull you from your fucking horse, take away your bloody pistols, shoot you in both fucking knees, and then I’m going to beat your sodding brains out against the cobblestones,” Asa said.

One of footmen squeaked.

There’s so much lovely tension between Asa and Eve throughout the book and the romance bounces a lot back and forth between the emotional and the sexual. And like the rest of the series, there’s a intriguing suspense plot line weaved throughout the book. Overall, a lovely read with some lovely characters!

“Lily of the valley,” he murmured. “I’ll remember that scent forever now, and whenever I smell it again I’ll think of you, Eve Dinwody. You’ll be haunting my tomorrows forevermore.”